The collection is a timeline in the truest sense. The artists range from up and comers to people that JP first met when he was still french inhaling. Names like Elkas, Gunning, Grimson and Messick have been around since Shane was shaving Saints logos into the back of his head, but over the years Joel has become more involved in production and sonic relationships with newer artists like Mo Kenney and Myles Deck grew from hours spent together finding the sound.

The final installments of the 45s collection go from coast to coast, with songs from Vancouver’s Jeremy Fisher and Dartmouth’s Mo Kenney.

Over the last few years, Fisher has become a CBC darling and his contribution, “Paper Crown”, proves why. It’s light and breezy, and incredibly infectious and Fisher could easily find a home with fans of Josh Rouse or Rhett Miller. When he and Joel toss in some harmonica and add backing vocals that sound like they are boomed from the next room, you can feel the ice caps start to melt. Paired with another gem from Plaskett, this vinyl will fly off the shelves.

The real shock for me was the immediate impact of Mo Kenney. The young woman penned the A-side, “Eden”, when she was barely in High School and honestly, it’s hard to not hear the vocal similarities between her and the smoky siren of The Velvet Underground. Whereas Nico’s was a voice that oozed confidence, fragility and a cool that extended through the airwaves, Mo seems more reserved and uncertain. The delicate picks fit perfectly with her relaxed delivery and even as you hear influence and inspiration, you hear the talent Mo possesses.

The B-side is more adventurous and ultimately, more rewarding. When Kenney admits, “you are afraid of the dark and I am just afraid”, you expect the song to continue with picks and tenderness, but she and Plaskett turn up the volume, add big drums, bass and bolder guitar work. It’s a much more mature offering and a style that could help Kenney make a name for herself when she releases her debut later this year.

by Bryan Acker

Mo Kenney is from Waverley, Nova Scotia. She wrote Eden when she was 16 years old. She came to the Scotland Yard when she was 20 and recorded it with Joel for her debut record that’s on it’s way soon. A skilled guitarist with a powerful voice, Mo’s is making new fans every time she sings a song. For fans of Elliot Smith, Tegan and Sara, Nick Drake and The Velvet Underground.

Jeremy Fisher and Joel Plaskett met in the fall of 2009 in Humber Valley, Newfoundland while writing songs with Great Big Sea for their record, Safe Upon the Shore. In the “spare time” between copious glasses of wine and whiskey they penned a couple songs together which were later recorded at the Scotland Yard. The recordings sat on the back burner for the past year but they’re cooked now and ready to be consumed by you.

The New Scotland Records 7″ vinyl singles series is a collection of 12 7″ singles produced by Joel Plaskett at his Scotland Yard studio in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia between 2009 – 2012 featuring artists Ana Egge, Yellow Jacket Avenger, Peter Elkas, Matthew Grimson, Tyler Messick, Myles Deck & the Fuzz, Ben Gunning, David Myles, Shotgun Jimmie, Jeremy Fisher, and Mo Kenney.

Visit the 45’s page for more information about the 7″ vinyl singles series. All titles are available for purchase at MapleMusic.com and at these fine independent record stores across Canada.

New Scotland Records recognizes the importance of independent record stores to Canadian artists and our music communities, and is a proud supporter of Record Store Day.

As such, the label released the final two 7″ vinyl singles – featuring new artist Mo Kenney, and Joel Plaskett & Jeremy Fisher – to complete the New Scotland Records 7″ vinyl singles series, for a total of 12 records in the collection.

55 limited-edition box sets were assembled and sent to record stores across the country, to show our appreciation and in celebration of Record Store Day. The complete series can be viewed on the 45’s page and includes 7″ vinyl singles by Mo Kenney, Joel Plaskett, Jeremy Fisher, Peter Elkas, Ana Egge, Yellow Jacket Avenger, Myles Deck & the Fuzz, Tyler Messick, Ben Gunning, David Myles, Matthew Grimson, Joel Plaskett, and Shotgun Jimmie.

All New Scotland Records releases are available from these fine independent record stores across Canada.

Hey All
The recording of Scrappy Happiness is done and about to be released on both CD and vinyl. Thanks for all the enthusiasm and feedback to the weekly releases. It’s been really fun.

We’re excited to hit the road in April and May through the west and central Canada. Hope to see you at a show.

East Coast, we haven’t forgotten you (and never will), it’ll happen as the year comes together.

Amps are being serviced, drums are being tuned and strings are changing. Looking forward.
Joel

Joel Plaskett has crossed at least one thing off his bucket list – playing at the top of the CN Tower on Wednesday night in Toronto as part of his trio Joel Plaskett Emergency – for Canadian Music Week’s opening night gala.

“The cool thing about the gig was, ‘Well, check that one off the list,’” Plaskett told QMI Agency on Thursday afternoon in his Toronto hotel room while promoting the new JPE album, Scrappy Happiness, out March 27.

“It was a trip.”

The only problem, said the East Coast Rocker, was the room’s thin air and bad acoustics.

“The air up there is a little bit sort of airplane air,” said Plaskett. “And it’s like a glass room so soundwise it’s not the nicest on stage, low ceilings. So it wasn’t designed with a rock venue in mind. But it was fun. And it was cool, an experience, to have an audience come up there. At soundcheck, I was like, ‘This going to be tough.’ I was tired, my back was bothering me, the air was weird. It’s glassy sound so it’s not the sweetest sounding room. On stage it was fighting the acoustics of a place that’s not designed for music so that can be a little bit unforgiving as a singer and stuff, where you’re just like, ‘Whoa, my ears hurt.’ But it comes with the gig, and you fight against it and sometimes it makes the show better.

“Come gig-time, it was really, really fun,” Plaskett concluded: “We played the CN Tower.”

However, before the show, Plaskett definitely noticed his fatigue and had to retreat for a while.

“Between soundcheck in mid-afternoon, I got so tired just from the air and the lack of oxygen, that I went back down and just laid in the grass across from the tower looking at it for an hour. I didn’t fall asleep. I just kind of vegged out.”

by Jane Stevenson, Toronto Sun

Watch David’s performance on Canada AM here.

Mo Kenney is currently working on her first album with producer Joel Plaskett and is releasing a 7″ vinyl single on New Scotland Records on April 24. Mo worked with film director Greg Jackson as part of the Atlantic Film Festival’s 10 x 10 Music Video Mentorship Program. Together they created this music video for her song “Eden”. The song will be on the new 7″ in April and the music video is now screening at the prestigious Chicago International Movies & Music Festival (CIMMfest) and the Halifax Independent Film Festival (HIFF).

On Jan. 14, 2012 Peter Elkas fulfilled a life long dream: he met and sang with his musical hero Bruce Springsteen. It all went down at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, New Jersey, as part of an annual fundraiser called Light of Day, but how Peter got there is a much more touching and elaborate story. 

In honour of the Boss releasing his 17th studio album Wrecking Ball, CBC asked Elkas to share his Springsteen tale through his own photos and words. You can view the complete story here.

PETER ELKAS – “Cool Thing To Do” live at This Ain’t Hollywood
Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.